Chester Healthcare Foundation Awards Mini-Grant to Mid-Carolina AHEC

Vickie Fletcher, RN, HOP Coordinator

The Chester Healthcare Foundation awarded a $2,250 mini-grant to Mid-Carolina AHEC in January to support Chester Regional Medical Center’s Healthy Outcomes Plan (HOP). In a county-wide effort to decrease hospital readmissions and emergency visits, Chester County’s Healthy Outcomes Plan will focus on patient education and compliance, routine patient monitoring, and provide access to specialized services. The plan supports Chester Healthcare Foundation’s mission, which is “to support programs, projects and/or services of prevention and education which enhance, improve and/or promote the health and wellness with measurable outcomes of the citizens of Chester County.”

Vickie Fletcher, RN, HOP Coordinator, is charged with implementation of this patient-centered approach to addressing improved patient outcomes. As an experienced nurse and Chester County resident, Mrs. Fletcher has knowledge of the county’s resources and is willing to reach out to providers and agencies to effectively identify, access, and align services to enhance the project’s outcomes. Health indicators estimate that 54.8 percent of Chester County residents are diagnosed with heart disease (5.3 percent), hypertension (38.2 percent) and/or diabetes (11.3 percent). Patient education and medical supplies will be purchased with funding from the mini-grant to support improved patient outcomes through education, self-monitoring, and compliance.

Mr. William H. Bundy, President, Chester Healthcare Foundation, former Chester Regional Medical Center CEO and former Mid-Carolina AHEC board chairman, is actively involved in selecting and supporting innovative and creative collaborations that respond to Chester County’s community needs. Outcomes from this project will be shared with the Chester Healthcare Foundation, as well as, with health professions programs across the state for analysis and potential replication.

For more information about the program, please contact Mid-Carolina AHEC at 803-286-4121.

Comments

Mid-Carolina AHEC Simulation Activity Allows Students to Step into Nurses’ Shoes

Prior to COVID-19 Students in the Mid-Carolina AHEC Health Careers Program were able to participate in an interactive activity that allowed them to act as nurses during a simulation activity. The experience was offered through Mid-Carolina AHEC’s continued partnership with Midlands Technical College: Airport Campus. Chaunta Simmons, RN, an instructor with the college’s Health Sciences Department, developed the experience to provide a way for students to actively learn about the nursing profession. Together with Nursing Department Chair Shirley Bannister, RN, they explained the roles of nurses, provided a brief presentation, and enabled students to perform as nurses by taking care of their simulated patient. Students completed a series of tasks common to the day-to-day nursing practice such as patient assessment, foley catheter management, patient positioning, post-operative management, medication administration and safety all while adorned with personal protective equipment (PPE). &qu

Upstate AHEC Leverages Blended Learning Format to Train Health Professionals

Upstate AHEC partnered with Lila Doyle Nursing Home, Prisma Health, AnMed Health Rehab, Greenville County Schools, and the Greenville County Detention Center to help train their employees using a blended learning modality. Through this learning format, participants complete an online lecture and post-test via AHECU and then attend an in-person lab to practice their skills and complete their skills competency checkoffs. Upstate AHEC also works with the outpatient staff of Bon Secours St. Francis in Greenville to complete their medication administration and vital signs training and assessment utilizing the blended learning method. As part of the new hire orientation week, employees view online lecture modules and then attend a vital signs training and lab at Upstate AHEC as well as a medication administration lab. Certified medical assistants, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, radiology technicians, registered nurses, and unlicensed personnel are all a

Pee Dee AHEC Adapts Training Formats During Pandemic

Pee Dee AHEC’s continuing professional development programs, like so many other organizations, had an unexpected year full of transitions and adaptations to new platforms of training. As a result of COVID-19, Pee Dee AHEC quickly transitioned a large number of previously scheduled in-person programs to live webinars. Using the webinars has enabled Pee Dee AHEC to reach many new health professionals, resulting in many new participants across the state of South Carolina and beyond. For example, Pee Dee AHEC partnered with colleges and universities to allow senior nursing students to attend the “Legal Aspects of Nursing Documentation: How Well Would Your Documentation Hold Up in Court?” to earn 6.5 hours toward their clinical requirements. This partnership has continued to grow and serve as a great resource to nursing students and practicing health professionals as well. Pee Dee AHEC has hosted a variety of new speakers to teach programs to counselors and social workers that provided trai

South Carolina AHEC News & Updates

Search This Blog